EPHRATA — An upsurge of hepatitis A cases across the state has prompted the Grant County Health District to step up vaccination efforts among those most at risk for the disease.

Speaking at a regular monthly meeting of the Grant County Health District board, Health Officer Alexander Brzezny said more than 160 cases of hepatitis A were diagnosed statewide in 2019, with the disease spreading fastest among the homeless, IV drug users and jail and prison inmates.

“It’s coming closer to Grant County,” Brzezny told board members Wednesday.

Brzezny said the health district investigated two cases of hepatitis A in Grant County, but only one was an actual case.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, hepatitis A is an acute liver disease caused by a virus, and spreads easily by touching or handling infected objects, eating contaminated food, sharing needles, or through sex. In most people, the disease will only last a couple of months, though for some people the infection can persist for six months or more.

Hepatitis B and C, both caused by different viruses, can become chronic conditions that can linger for years.

Brzezny said the health district has been offering hepatitis A vaccinations as part of its regular needle exchange program and was working with the Grant County Sheriff’s Office to offer the vaccine for inmates and ensure prison guards were also vaccinated.

“That vaccine shouldn’t be sitting in my fridge. It should be in people’s arms,” Brzezny said. “So we don’t have an outbreak.”

Brzezny also told the board there is currently a lull in this year’s influenza outbreak, which has been confirmed responsible for three deaths so far in Grant County during this flu season.

So far, this year’s outbreak is largely the influenza B virus, which is not as dangerous and not responsible for global pandemics the way the influenza A virus is, Brzezny said.

“We’re waiting for the (influenza) A wave” to hit, possibly in mid- to late January, Brzezny said.

Schools have been especially hit by this year’s influenza, Brzezny said. At the height of the flu season in late fall, most school districts across Grant County reported a roughly 30 percent absentee rate. The Wahluke School District “was hardest hit” and at one point reported 50-60 percent absent because of the flu.

“I’ve seen a lot more kids than I have adults,” said board member David Curnel, a physician and member of the Moses Lake City Council.

“Flu is still the most important communicable disease we deal with,” Brzezny added.

The Health District board also agreed to hold a public hearing at its February meeting on a series of proposed fee increases for 2020. The district raises a portion of its budget from fees charged for food establishment and restaurant inspections, water and sewer inspections, and some medical procedures, such as vaccinations.

Charles H. Featherstone can be reached at cfeatherstone@columbiabasinherald.com.